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F 1234 

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Copy 1 NOTE 

OF THE 

SECRETARY OF STATE 

OF THE UNITED STATES 

TO THE 

SECRETARY OF FOREIGN RELATIONS 

OF THE DE FACTO GOVERNMENT OF MEXICO 



DATED 

JUNE 20, 1916 




WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1916 






In the House op Representatives, 

June 23, 1916. 
Ordered, That the note of the Secretary of State to the Secretary of Foreign Reli 
tions of the de facto Government of Mexico of June 20, 1916, be printed as a Houe 
Document. 
2 



D. of D. 
JUL 7 I9I6 



NOTE. 



Department of State, 

Washington^ June W, 1916. 

Sir: I have read your communication, which was de- 
livered to me on May 22, 1916, under instructions of the 
Chief Executive of the de facto Government of Mexico, 
on the subject of the presence of American troops in 
Mexican territory, and I would be wanting in candor if 
I did not, before making answer to the allegations of 
fact and the conclusions reached by your Government, 
express the surprise and regret which have been caused 
this Government by the discourteous tone and temper of 
this last communication of the de facto Government of 
Mexico. 

The Government of the United States has viewed with 
deep concern and increasing disappointment the progress 
of the revolution in Mexico. Continuous bloodshed and 
disorders have marked its progress. For-three years the 
Mexican Kepublic has been torn with civil strife; the 
lives of Americans and other aliens have been sacrificed ; 
vast properties developed by American capital and enter- 
prise have been destroyed or rendered nonproductive; 
bandits have been permitted to roam at will through the 
territory contiguous to the United States and to seize, 
without punishment or without effective attempt at pun- 
ishment, the property of Americans, while the lives of 
citizens of the United States who ventured to remain in 
Mexican territory or to return there to protect their 
interests have been taken, and in some cases barbarously 
taken, and the murderers have neither been apprehended 
nor brought to justice. It would be difficult to find in the 
annals of the history of Mexico conditions more deplor- 

3 



4 NOTE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE. 

able than those which have existed there during these 
recent years of civil war. 

It would be tedious to recount instance after instance, 
outrage after outrage, atrocity after atrocity, to illustrate 
the true nature and extent of the widespread conditions 
of lawlessness and violence which have prevailed. Dur- 
ing the past nine months in particular, the frontier of 
the United States along the lower Rio Grande has been 
thrown into a state of constant apprehension and turmoil 
because of frequent and sudden incursions into American 
territory and depredations and murders on American soil 
by Mexican bandits, who have taken the lives and de- 
stroyed the property of American citizens, sometimes 
carrying American citizens across the international boun- 
dary with the booty seized. American garrisons have 
been attacked at night, American soldiers killed and their 
equipment and horses stolen; American ranches have 
been raided, property stolen and destroyed, and American 
trains wrecked and plundered. The attacks on Browns- 
ville, Red House Ferry, Progreso Post Office, and Las 
Peladas, all occurring during September last, are typical. 
In these attacks on American territory, Carrancista ad- 
herents, and even Carrancista soldiers took part in the 
looting, burning, and killing. Not only were these mur- 
ders characterized by ruthless brutality, but uncivilized 
acts of mutilation were perpetrated. Representations 
were made to General Carranza and he was emphatically 
requested to stop these reprehensible acts in a section 
which he has long claimed to be under the complete domi- 
nation of his authority. Notwithstanding these repre- 
sentations and the promise of General Nafarrete to pre- 
vent attacks along the international boundary, in the fol- 
lowing month of October a passenger train was wrecked 
by bandits and several persons killed seven miles north 
of Brownsville, and an attack was made upon United 
State troops at the same place several days later. Since 
these attacks leaders of the bandits well known both to 
Mexican civil and military authorities as well as to Amer- 
ican officers have been enjoying with impunity the liberty 
of the towns of northern Mexico. So far has the in- 



NOTE OP THE SECRETARY OE STATE. 5 

difference of the de facto Government to these atrocities 
gone that some of these leaders, as I am advised, have 
received not only the protection of that Government, but 
encouragement and aid as well. 

Depredations upon American persons and property 
within Mexican jurisdiction have been still more numer- 
ous. This Government has repeatedly requested in the 
strongest terms that the de facto Government safeguard 
the lives and homes of American citizens and furnish 
the protection, which international obligation imposes, 
to American interests in the Northern States of Tamauli- 
pas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Chihuahua, and Sonora, and 
also in the States to the South. For example, on January 
3d troops were requested to punish the bands of outlaws 
which looted the Cusi mining property, eighty miles west 
of Chihuahua, but no effective results came from this 
request. During the following week the bandit Villa 
with his band of about 200 men was operating without 
opposition between Rubio and Santa Ysabel, a fact well 
known to Carrancista authorities. Meanwhile a party 
of unfortunate Americans started by train from Chihua- 
hua to visit the Cusi mines, after having received assur- 
ances from the Carrancista authorities in the State of 
Chihuahua that the country was safe, and that a guard 
on the train was not necessary. The Americans held 
passports or safe conducts issued by authorities of the 
de facto Government. On January 10th the train was 
stopped by Villa bandits and eighteen of the American 
party were stripped of their clothing and "shot in cold 
blood, in what is now known as " the Santa Ysabel mas- 
sacre." General Carranza stated to the Agent of the 
Department of State that he had issued orders for the 
immediate pursuit, capture, and punishment of those 
responsible for this atrocious crime, and appealed to this 
Government and to the American people to consider the 
difficulties of according protection along the railroad 
where the massacre occurred. Assurances were also 
given by Mr. Arredondo, presumably under instructions 
from the de facto Government, that the murders would 
be brought to justice, and that steps would also be taken 



6 XOTE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE. 

to remedy the lawless conditions existing in the State of 
Durango. It is true that Villa, Castro, and Lopez were 
publicly declared to be outlaws and subject to apprehen- 
sion and execution, but so far as known, only a single 
man personally connected with this massacre has been 
brought to justice by Mexican authorities. Within a 
month after this barbarous slaughter of inoffensive 
Americans it was notorious that Villa was operating with- 
in twenty miles of Cusihuiriachic, and publicly stated 
that his purpose was to destroy American lives nnd 
property. Despite repeated and insistent demands that 
military protection should be furnished to Americans, 
Villa openly carried on his operations, constantly ap- 
proaching closer and closer to the border. He was not 
intercepted, nor were his movements impeded by troops 
of the de facto Government, and no effectual attempt was 
made to frustrate his hostile designs against Americans. 
In fact, as I am informed, while Villa and his band were 
slowly moving toward the American frontier in the 
neighborhood of Columbus, New Mexico, not a single 
Mexican soldier was seen in his vicinity. Yet the Mexi- 
can authorities were fully cognizant of his movements, 
for on March 6th, as General Gavira publicly announced, 
he advised the American military authorities of the out- 
law's approach to the border, so that they might be pre- 
pared to prevent him from crossing the boundary. 
Villa's unhindered activities culminated in the unpro- 
voked and cold-blooded attack upon American soldiers 
and citizens in the town of Columbus on the night of 
March 9th, the details of which do not need repetition 
here in order to refresh your memory with the heinous- 
ness of the crime. After murdering, burning, and plund- 
ering. Villa and his bandits fleeing south passed within 
sight of the Carrancista military post at Casas Grandes, 
and no effort was made to stop him by the officers and 
garrison of the de facto Government stationed there. 

In the face of these depredations not only on American 
lives and property on Mexican soil but on American sol- 
diers, citizens and homes on American territory, the per- 
petrators of which General Carranza was unable or 



NOTE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE. 7 

possibly considered it inadvisable to apprehend and pun- 
ish, the United States had no recourse other than to em- 
ploy force to disperse the bands of Mexican outlaws who 
were with increasing boldness systematically raiding 
across the international boundary. The marauders en- 
gaged in the attack on Columbus were driven back across 
the border by American cavalry, and subsequently, as 
soon as a sufficient force to cope with the band could be 
collected, were pursued into Mexico in an effort to cap- 
ture or destroy them. Without co-operation or assistance 
in the field on the part of the de facto Government, de- 
spite repeated requests by the United States, and without 
apparent recognition on its part of the desirability of 
putting an end to these systematic raids, or of punishing 
the chief perpetrators of the crimes committed, because 
they menaced the good relations of the two countries, 
American forces pursued the lawless bands as far as 
Parral, where the pursuit was halted by the hostility 
of Mexicans, presumed to be loyal to the de facto Gov- 
ernment, who arrayed themselves on the side of outlawry 
and became in effect the protectors of Villa and his band. 
In this manner and for these reasons have the Ameri- 
can forces entered Mexican territory. Kjiowing fully 
the circumstances set forth the de facto Government 
cannot be blind to the necessity which compelled this 
Government to act and yet it has seen fit to recite ground- 
less sentiments of hostility toward the expedition and to 
impute to this Government ulterior motives for the con- 
tinued presence of American troops on Mexican soil. 
It is charged that these troops crossed the frontier with- 
out first obtaining the consent or permission of the de 
facto Government. Obviously, as immediate action alone 
could avail, there was no opportunity to reach an agree- 
ment (other than that of March 10th-13th now repudi- 
ated by General Carranza) prior to the entrance of such 
an expedition into Mexico if the expedition was to be 
effective. Subsequent events and correspondence have 
demonstrated to the satisfaction of this Government that 
General Carranza would not have entered into any agree- 
ment providing for an effective plan for the capture and 



8 .NOTE OF THE SEGKETARY OE STATE. 

destruction of the Villa bands. While the American 
troops were moving rapidly southward in pursuit of the 
raiders, it was the form and nature of the agreement that 
occupied the attention of General Carranza rather than 
the practical object which it was to attain — the number 
of limitations that could be imposed upon the American 
forces to impede their progress rather than the obstacles 
that could be raised to prevent the escape of the outlaws. 
It was General Carranza who suspended through your 
note of April 12th all discussions and negotiations for 
an agreement along the lines of the Protocols between the 
United States and Mexico concluded during the period 
1882-1896, under which the two countries had so success- 
fully restored peaceful conditions on their common boun- 
dary. It may be mentioned here that, notwithstanding 
the statement in your note that " the American Govern- 
ment gave no answer to the note of the 12th of April," 
this note was replied to on April 14th, when the Depart- 
ment instructed Mr. Rodgers by telegraph to deliver this 
Government's answer to General Carranza. Shortly 
after this reply the conferences between Generals Scott, 
Funston and Obregon began at El Paso, during which 
they signed on May 2d a project of a memorandum ad 
referendum regarding the withdrawal of American 
troops. As an indication of the alleged bad faith of the 
American Government, you state that though General 
Scott declared in this memorandum that the destruction 
and dispersion of the Villa band "had been accom- 
plished," yet American forces are not withdrawn from 
Mexico. It is only necessary to read the memorandum, 
which is in the English language, to ascertain that this 
is clearly a misstatement, for the memorandum states 
that "the American punitive expeditionary forces have 
destroyed or dispersed many of the lawless elements and 
bandits, * * * or have driven them far into the inte- 
rior of the Republic of Mexico," and further, that the 
United States forces were then " carrying on a vigorous 
pursuit of such small numbers of bandits or lawless ele- 
ments as may have escaped." The context of your note 
gives the impression that the object of the expedition 



NOTE OF THE SECRETAEY OF STATE. 9 

being admittedly accomplished, the United States had 
agreed in the memorandum to begin the withdrawal of 
its troops. The memorandum shows, however, that it 
was not alone on account of partial dispersion of the 
bandits that it was decided to begin the withdrawal of 
American forces, but equally on account of the assurances 
of the Mexican Government that their forces were " at 
the present time being augmented and strengthened to 
such an extent that they will be able to prevent any dis- 
orders occurring in Mexico that would in any way en- 
danger American territory," and that they would " con- 
tinue to diligently pursue, capture or destroy smy lawless 
bands of bandits that may still exist or hereafter exist 
in the northern part of Mexico," and that it would " make 
a proper distribution of such of its forces as may be 
necessary to prevent the possibility of invasion of Ameri- 
can territory from Mexico." It was because of these 
assurances and because of General Scott's confidence that 
thej would be carried out that he stated in the memo- 
randum that the American forces would be '■^gradually 
withdrawn." It is to be noted that, while the Americar- 
Government was willing to ratify this agreement, Gen- 
eral Carranza refused to do so, as General Obrpgon 
stated, because, among other things, it imposed improper 
conditions upon the Mexican Government. 

Notwithstanding the assurances in the memorandum, it 
is well known that the forces of the de facto Government 
have not carried on a vigorous pursuit of the remaining 
bandits and that no proper distribution of forces to pre- 
vent the invasion of American territory has been made, 
as will be shown by the further facts hereinafter set 
forth. I am reluctant to be forced to the conclusion 
which might be drawn from these circumstances that the 
de facto Government, in spite of the crimes committed 
and the sinister designs of Villa and his followers, did 
not and does not now intend or desire that these outlaws 
should be captured, destroyed, or dispersed by American 
troops or, at the request of this Government, by Mexican 
troops. 



10 XOTK OK THE SECRETARY OF STATE. 

While the conferences at El Paso were in progress, 
and after the American conferees had been assured on 
May 2d that the Mexican forces in the northern part of 
the Republic were then being augmented so as to be able 
to prevent any disorders that would endanger American 
territory, a band of Mexicans, on the night of May 5th, 
made an attack at Glenn Springs, Texas, about twenty 
miles north of the border, killing American soldiers and 
civilians, burning and sacking property and carrying off 
two Americans as prisoners. Subsequent to this event, 
the Mexican Government, as you state, " gave instruc- 
tions to General Obregon to notify that of the United 
States that it would not permit the further passage of 
American troops into Mexico on this account, and that 
orders had been given to all military commanders along 
the frontier not to consent to same." This Government 
is of course not in a position to dispute the statement 
that these instructions had been given to General Obre- 
gon, but it can decisively assert that General Obregon 
liever gave any such notification to General Scott or 
General Funston or, so far as known, to any other 
American official. General Obregon did, however, in- 
quire as to whether American troops had entered Mexico 
in pursuit of the Glenn Springs raiders, and General 
Funston stated that no orders had been issued to Ameri- 
can troops to cross the frontier on account of the raid, 
but this statement was made before any such orders had 
been issued, and not afterwards, as the erroneous account 
of the interview given in your note would appear to indi- 
cate; Moreover, no statement was made by the American 
Generals that "no more American troops would cross 
into our territory." On the contrary, it was pointed out 
to General Obregon and to Mr. Juan Amador, who was 
present at the conference, and pointed out with em- 
phasis, that the bandits de la Rosa and Pedro Vino, who 
had been instrumental in causing the invasion of Texas 
above Brownsville, were even then reported to be arrang- 
ing in the neighborhood of Victoria for another raid 
across the border, and it was made clear to General 
Obregon that if the Mexican Government did not take 



jstote of the secretary op state. 11 

immediate steps to prevent another invasion of the 
United States by these marauders, who were frequently 
seen in the company of General Naf arrete, the Constitu- 
tionalist commander, Mexico would find in Tamaulipas 
another punitive expedition similar to that then in Chi- 
huahua. American troops crossed into Mexico on May 
10th, upon notification to the local military authorities, 
under the repudiated agreement of March 10-13th, or 
in any event in accordance with the practice adopted 
over forty years ago, when there was no agreement re- 
garding pursuit of marauders across the international 
boundary. These troops 'penetrated 168 miles into Mexi- 
can territory in pursuit of the Glenn Springs marauders 
without encountering a detachment of Mexican trooj)s or 
a single Mexican soldier. Further discussion of this raid, 
however, is not necessary, be€ause the American forces 
sent in pursuit of the bandits recrossed into Texas on the 
morning of May 22d, the date of your note under con- 
sideration — a further proof of the singleness of purpose 
of this Government in endeavoring to quell disorder and 
stamp out lawlessness along the border. 

During the continuance of the El Paso conferences. 
General Scott you assert, did not take into consideration 
the plan proposed by the Mexican Government for the 
protection of the frontier by the reciprocal distribution 
of troops along the boundary. This proposition was 
made by General Obregon a number of times, but each 
time conditioned upon the immediate withdrawal of 
American troops, and the Mexican conferees were in- 
variably informed that immediate withdrawal could not 
take place, and that therefore it was impossible to discuss 
the project on that basis. 

I have noted the fact that your communication is not 
limited to a discussion of the deplorable conditions exist- 
ing along the border and their important bearing on the 
peaceful relations of our Governments, but that an effort 
is made to connect it with other circumstances in order 
to support, if possible, a mistaken interpretation of the 
attitude of the Government of the United States toward 
Mexico. You state in effect that the American Govern- 



12 NOTE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE. 

ment has placed every obstacle in the way of attaining 
the pacification of Mexico, and that this is shown by the 
volume of diplomatic representations in behalf of Ameri- 
can interests which constantly impede efforts to reorgan- 
ize the political, economical, and social conditions of the 
country; by the decided aid lent at one time to Villa by 
American officers and by the Department of State; by 
the aid extended by the American Catholic clergy to that of 
Mexico; by the constant activity of the American press 
in favor of intervention and the interests of American 
business men; by the shelter and supply of rebels and 
conspirators on American territory; by the detention of 
shipments of arms and munitions purchased by the Mexi- 
can Government; and by the detention of machinery 
intended for their manufacture. 

In reply to this sweeping charge, I can truthfully affirm 
that the American Government has given every possible 
encouragement to the de facto Government in the pacifica- 
tion and rehabilitation of Mexico. From the moment of 
its recognition, it has had the undivided support of this 
Government. An embargo was placed upon arms and 
ammunition going into Chihuahua, Sonora, and Lower 
California, in order to prevent their falling into the 
hands of the armed opponents of the de facto Govern- 
ment. Permission has been granted from time to time, 
as requested, for Mexican troops and equipment to 
traverse American territory from one point to another 
in Mexico in order that the operations of Mexican troops 
against Villa and his forces might be facilitated. In 
view of these friendly acts, I am surprised that the de 
facto Government has construed diplomatic representa- 
tions in regard to the unjust treatment accorded Ameri- 
can interests, private assistance to opponents to the de 
facto Government by sympathizers in a foreign country, 
and the activity of a foreign press as interference by the 
United States Government in the domestic politics of 
Mexico. If a denial is needed that this Government has 
had ulterior and improper motives in its diplomatic rep- 
resentations, or has countenanced the activities of Ameri- 
can sympathizers and the American press opposed to 



NOTE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE. 13 

the de facto Government, I am glad most emphatically 
to deny it. It is, however, a matter of common knowl- 
edge that the Mexican press has been more active than 
the press in the United States in endeavoring to inflame 
the two peoples against each other and to force the two 
countries into hostilities. With the power of censorship 
of the Mexican press, so rigorously exercised by the 
de facto Government, the responsibility for this activity 
cannot, it would seem, be avoided by that Government, 
and the issue of the appeal of General Carranza himself 
in the press of March 12th, calling upon the Mexican peo- 
j)le to be prepared for any emergency which might arise, 
and intimating that war with the United States was 
imminent, evidences the attitude of the de facto Govern- 
ment toward these publications. It should not be a mat- 
ter of surprise that, after such manifestations of hostile 
feeling, the United States was doubtful of the purpose 
for which the large amount of ammunition was to be 
used which the de facto Government appeared eager to 
import from this country. Moreover, the policy of the 
de facto Government in refusing to co-operate and in 
failing to act independently in destroying the Villa ban- 
dits and in otherwise suppressing outlawry in the vicinity 
of the border so as to remove the danger of war mate- 
rials, while passing southward through this zone, falling 
into the hands of the enemies of law and order is, in 
the opinion of this Government, a sufficient ground, even 
if there were no other, for the refusal to allow such 
materials to cross the boundary into the bandit-infested 
region. To have permitted these shipments without care- 
ful scrutiny would, in the circumstances, have been to 
manifest a sense of security which would have been 
unjustified. 

Candor compels me to add that the unconcealed lios- 
tility of the subordinate military commanders of the dt 
facto Government toward the American troops engaged 
in pursuing the Villa bands and the efforts of the de 
facto Government to compel their withdrawal from 
Mexican territory by threats and show of military force 
instead of bv aiding in the capture of the outlaws con- 



14 NOTE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE. 

stitute a menace to the safety of the American troops 
and to the peace of the border. As long as this menace 
continues and there is any evidence of an intention on the 
part of the de facto Government or its military com- 
manders to use force against the American troops instead 
of co-operating with them, the Government of the United 
States will not permit munitions of war or machinery for 
their manufacture to be exported from this country to 
Mexico. 

As to the shelter and supply of rebels and conspirators 
on American territory, I can state that vigorous efforts 
have been and are being made by the agents of the United 
States to apprehend and bring to justice all persons found 
to be conspiring to violate the laws of the United States 
by organizing to oppose with arms the de facto Govern- 
ment of Mexico. Political refugees have undoubtedly 
sought asylum in the United States, but this Govern- 
ment has vigilantly kept them under surveillance and 
has not hesitated to apprehend them upon proof of their 
criminal intentions, as the arrest of General Huerta and 
others fully attests. 

Having corrected the erroneous statements of fact to 
which I have adverted, the real situation stands forth 
in its true light. It is admitted that American troops 
have crossed the international boundary in hot pursuit 
of the Columbus raiders and without notice to or the 
consent of your Government but the several protestations 
on the part of this Government by the President, by this 
Department, and by other American authorities, that the 
object of the expedition was to capture, destroy, or com- 
pletely disperse the Villa bands of outlaws or to turn 
this dxxiy over to the Mexican authorities when assured 
that it would be effectively fulfilled, have been carried 
out in perfect good faith by the United States. Its 
efforts, however, have been obstructed at every point; 
first, by insistence on a palpably useless agreement which 
you admit was either not to applj' to the present expedi- 
tion or was to contain impracticable restrictions on its 
organization and operation; then by actual opposition, 
encouraged and fostered by the de facto Government, to 



ISTOTE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE. 16 

the further advance of the expedition into Villa territory, 
which was followed by the sudden suspension of all 
negotiations for an arrangement for the pursuit of Villa 
and his followers and the protection of the frontier ; and 
finally by a demand for the immediate withdrawal of 
the American troops. Meantime, conditions of anarchy 
in the border States of Mexico were continually growing 
worse. Incursions into American territory were plotted 
and perpetrated; the Glenn Springs raid was success- 
fully executed, while no effective efforts were being made 
by General Carranza to improve the conditions and to 
protect American territory from constant threat of in- 
vasion. In view of this increasing menace, of the inac- 
tivity of the Carranza forces, of the lack of co-operation 
in the apprehension of the Villa bands, and of the knowi/ 
encouragement and aid given to bandit leaders, it h 
unreasonable to expect the United States to withdi^aw 
its forces from Mexican territory or to prevent their 
entry again when their presence is the only check upon 
further bandit outrages and the only efficient means of 
protecting American lives and homes — safeguards which 
General Carranza, though internationally obligated to 
supply, is manifestly unable or unwilling to give. 

In view of the actual state of affairs as I have outlined 
it above, I am now in a position to consider the conclu- 
sions which you have drawn in your note under acknowl- 
edgment from the erroneous statements of fact which 
you have set forth. 

Your Government intimates, if it does not openly 
charge, that the attitude of the United States is one of 
insincerity, distrust, and suspicion toward the de facto 
Governn\ent of Mexico, and that the intention of the 
United States in sending its troops into Mexico is to ex- 
tend its sovereignty over Mexican territory, and not 
merely for the purpose of pursuing marauders and pre- 
venting future raids across the border. The de facto 
Government charges by implication which admits of but 
one interpretation, that this Government has as its object 
territorial aggrandizement even at the expense of a war 
of aggression against a neighbor weakened by years of 



16 XOTE OF THE SECEETARY OF STATE. 

civil strife. The Government of the United States, if it 
had had designs upon tlie territory of Mexico, would have 
had no difficulty in finding dui'ing this period of revolu- 
tion and disorder many plausible arguments for inter- 
vention in Mexican affairs. Hoping, however, that the 
people of Mexico would through their own efforts restore 
peace and establish an orderly government, the United 
States has awaited with patience the consummation of 
the revolution. 

When the superiority of the revolutionary faction led 
by General Carranza became undoubted, the United 
States, after conferring with six others of the American 
Republics, recognized unconditionally the, j)resent de 
facto Government. It hoped and expected that that 
Government would speedily restore order and provide 
the Mexican people and others, who had given their 
energy and substance to the development of the great 
resources of the Republic, opportunity to rebuild in peace 
and securit}^ their shattered fortunes. 

This Government has waited month after month for 
the consummation of its hope and expectation. In spite 
of increasing discouragements, in spite of repeated 
provocations to exercise force in the restoration of order 
in the northern regions of Mexico, where American in- 
terests have suffered most seriously from lawlessness, the 
Government of the United States has refrained from 
aggressive action and sought by appeals and moderate 
though explicit demands to impress upon the de facto 
Government the seriousness of the situation and to arouse 
it to its duty to perform its international obligations 
toward citizens of the United States who had entered the 
territory of Mexico or had vested interests within its 
boundaries. 

In the face of constantly renewed evidences of the 
patience and restraint of this Government in circum- 
stances which only a government imbued with unselfish- 
ness and a sincere desire to respect to the full the sov- 
ereign rights and national dignity of the Mexican people 
would have endured, doubts and suspicions as to the 
motives of the Government of the United States are 



NOTE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE. 17 

expressed in j^oiir communication of May 22d, for which 
I can imagine no purpose but to impugn the good faith 
of this Government for I find it hard to believe that 
such imputations are not universally known to be without 
the least shadow of justification in fact. 

Can the de facto Government doubt that, if the United 
States had turned covetous eyes on Mexican territory, it 
could have found many pretexts in the past for the grati- 
fication of its desire? Can that Government doubt that 
months ago, when the war between the revolutionary fac- 
tions was in progress, a much better opportunity than 
the present was afforded for American intervention, if 
such has been the purpose of the United States as the de 
facto Government now insinuates? What motive could 
this Government have had in refraining from taking 
advantage of such opportunities other than unselfish 
friendship for the Mexican Republic? I have of course 
given consideration to your argument that the responsi- 
bility for the present situation rests largely upon this 
Government. In the first place, you state that even the 
American forces along the border whose attention is un- 
divided by other military operations, " Find themselves 
physically unable to protect effectively the frontier on 
the American side." Obviously, if there is no means of 
reaching bands roving on Mexican territory and making 
sudden dashes at night into American territory it is 
impossible to prevent such invasions unless the frontier 
is protected by a cordon of troops. No government 
could be expected to maintain a force of this strength 
along the boundary of a nation with which it is at peace 
for the purpose of resisting the onslaughts of a few 
bands of lawless men, especially when the neighboring 
state makes no effort to prevent these attacks. The most 
effective method of preventing raids of this nature, as 
past experience has fully demonstrated,. is to visit punish- 
ment or destruction on the raiders. It is precisely this 
plan which the United States desires to follow along the 
border without any intention of infringing upon the 
sovereign rights of her neighbor, but which, although ob- 
H. Doc. 1237, 64-1-^2 



18 NOTE OF THE SECKETAEY OF STATE. 

viously advantageous to the de facto Government, it re- 
fuses to allow or even countenance. It is in fact pro- 
tection to American lives and property about which the 
United States is solicitous and not the methods or ways 
in which that protection shall be accomplished. If the 
Mexican Government is unwilling or unable to give this 
protection by preventing its territory from being the 
rendezvous and refuge of murderers and plunderers, that 
does not relieve this Government from its duty to take 
all the steps necessary to safeguard American citizens on 
American soil. The United States Government can not 
and will not allow bands of lawless men to establish 
themselves upon its borders with liberty to invade and 
plunder American territory with impunity and, when 
pursued, to seek safety across the Rio Grande, relying 
upon the plea of their Government that the integrity of 
the soil of the Mexican Repiublic must not be violated. 

The Mexican Government further protests that it has 
"made every effort on its part to protect the frontier" 
and that it is doing " all possible to avoid a recurrence of 
such acts." Attention is again invited to the well-laiown 
and unrestricted activity of de la Rosa, Ancieto Piscano 
Pedro Vinos and others in connection with border raids 
and to the fact that, as I am advised, up to June 4th de 
la Rosa was still collecting troops at Monterey for the 
openly avowed purpose of making attacks on Texan bor- 
der towns and that Pedro Vino was recruiting at other 
places for the same avowed purpose. I have already 
pointed out the uninterrupted progress of Villa to and 
from Columbus, and the fact that the American forces 
in pursuit of the Glenn Springs marauders penetrated 
168 miles into Mexican territory without encountering i 
single Carrancista soldier. This does not indicate that 
the Mexican Government is doing " all possible " to avoid 
further raids ; and if it is doing " all possible," this is not 
sufficient to prevent border raids, and there is every rea- 
son, therefore, why this Government must take such pre- 
ventive measures as it deems sufficient. 

It is suggested that injuries suffered on account of 
bandit raids are a matter of " pecuniary reparation " but 



NOTE OP THE SECRETARY OF STATE. 19 

" never the cause for American forces to invade Mexican 
soil." The precedents which have been established and 
maintained by the Government of the Mexican Eepublic 
for the last half century do not bear out this statement. 
It has grown to be almost a custom not to settle depre- 
dations of bandits by payments of money alone, but to 
quell such disorders and to prevent such crimes by swift 
and sure punishment. 

The de facto Government finally argues that " if the 
frontier were duly protected from incursions from Mex- 
ico there would be no reason for the existing difficulty " ; 
thus the de facto Government attempts to absolve itself 
from the first duty of any Government, namely, the pro- 
tection of life and property. This is the paramount ob- 
ligation for which governments are instituted, and gov- 
ernments neglecting or failing to perform it are not 
worthy of the name. This is the duty for which General 
Carranza, it must be assumed, initiated his revolution in 
Mexico and organized the present Government and for 
which the United States Government recognized his gov- 
ernment as the de facto Government of Mexico. Pro- 
tection of American lives and property, then, in the 
United States is first the obligation of this Government, 
and in Mexico is, first, the obligation of Mexico, and sec- 
ond, the obligation of the United States. In securing 
this protection along the common boundary the United 
States has a right to expect the cooperation of its neigh- 
boring Republic; and yet, instead of taking steps to 
check or punish the raiders, the de facto Government de- 
murs and objects to measures taken by the United States. 
The Government of the United States does not wish to 
believe that the de facto Government approves these ma- 
rauding attacks, yet as they continue to be made^ they 
show that the Mexican Government is unable to repress 
them. This inability, as this Government has had occasion 
in the past to say, may excuse the failure to check the 
outrages complained of, but it only makes stronger the 
duty of the United States to prevent them, for if the 
Government of Mexico can not protect the lives and 
property of Americans, exposed to attack from Mexicans. 



20 NOTE OF THE SECRETAa 



015 829 188 5 



the Government of the United States is in duty bound, 
so far as it can, to do so. 

In conclusion, the Mexican Government invites the 
United States to support its " assurances of friendship 
with real and effective acts " which " can be no other 
than the immediate withdrawal of the American troops." 
For the reasons I have herein fully set forth, this 
request of the de facto Government can not now be enter- 
tained. The United States has not sought the duty 
which has been forced upon it of pursuing bandits who 
under fundamental principles of municipal and inter- 
national law, ought to be pursued and arrested and pun- 
ished by Mexican authorities. Whenever Mexico will 
assume and effectively exercise that responsibility the 
United States, as it has many times before publicly de- 
clared, will be glad to have this obligation fulfilled by 
the de facto Government of Mexico. If, on the contrary, 
the de facto Government is pleased to ignore this obliga- 
tion and to believe that " in case of a refusal to retire 
these troops there is no further recourse than to defend 
its territory by an appeal to arms," the Government of 
the United States would surely be lacking in sincerity 
and friendship if it did not frankly impress upon the 
de facto Government that the execution of this threat 
will lead to the gravest consequences. "Wliile this Gov- 
ernment would deeply regret such a result, it cannot 
recede from its settled determination to maintain its 
national rights and to perform its full duty in prevent- 
ing further invasions of the territory of the United 
States and in removing the peril which Americans along 
the international boundary have borne so long with 
patience and forebearance. 

Accept, etc., 

Robert Lansing. 



c 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

015 829 188 5 is- 



